Some of my fav. albums of all time. i have read that the making of "Spirit of Eden" was an unbelievably stressful experience. Got any stories? It was clearly worth it. That record is perfect. How was it different from the making of Mark's solo outing ("Rights of Spring" one of my fav. songs of all time).

Some of my fav. albums of all time. i have read that the making of "Spirit of Eden" was an unbelievably stressful experience. Got any stories? It was clearly worth it. That record is perfect. How was it different from the making of Mark's solo outing ("Rights of Spring" one of my fav. songs of all time).

China Crisis was brilliant too.
Congrats on a magnificent career.

There are a couple of chapters in Are We Still Rolling? that cover the recording of Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock - and one on Mark Hollis solo album. Briefly SOE and Laughing Stock - each, a year in the studio, in the dark, no EQ, very little compression, recorded to 48 track analogue and a Mitsubishi 32 track digital. We also had another 5 X 24 track slave reels. Distant mic's, everything recorded seperately, many layered instruments. Mark's album in contrast was recorded with just 2 X Nuemann U49's set up in the front of the studio - we positioned musicians in the studio where we wanted them in the final stereo. Also recorded in daylight.
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TMark's album in contrast was recorded with just 2 X Nuemann U49's set up in the front of the studio - we positioned musicians in the studio where we wanted them in the final stereo. Also recorded in daylight.
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I so badly want to have the opportunity to record like this with musicians who are up to it.

I find the simplicity and finality of it fascinating in the digital-fix-it world I've grown up in. Do you have any general advice on going about this style of session? How long did it take to get people into the desired positions and for everyone to settle into the music?

I so badly want to have the opportunity to record like this with musicians who are up to it.

I find the simplicity and finality of it fascinating in the digital-fix-it world I've grown up in. Do you have any general advice on going about this style of session? How long did it take to get people into the desired positions and for everyone to settle into the music?

The most important thing working this way is the sound of the room - because that's what you are mic'ing up really. We checked out a few before we settled on MasterRock studio A. It took a couple of days to place everyone and get a 'balance'. Once happy we marked there names on the floor and recorded them one by one for Total Control. Music was all written out...so settled in pretty quickly.....